In mobile networking, a mobile node may roam, or switch amongst multiple wireless access points to one or more networks. A corresponding home agent may be configured to route messages between the mobile node and one or more correspondent nodes, as the mobile node roams.
Mobile nodes include individual mobile hosts and mobile routers. Protocols for mobile hosts have been published as a Request for Comments (RFC) 3775, titled, “Mobility Support in IPv6, ” published by The Internet Engineering Task Force, Network Working Group, June, 2004, available at http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc3775. txt, (hereinafter, MIPv6).
Mobile routers are configured to provide network access to one or more of mobile hosts and stationary hosts. A mobile router may connect to a network through one or more other mobile routers in a nested fashion. Protocols for mobile router have been published as a RFC 3963, titled, “NEMO Basic Support Protocol,” published by The Internet Engineering Task Force, Network Working Group, January, 2005, available at http://rfc.net/rfc3963. html#s6.2., (hereinafter, NEMO). NEMO is an extension of MIPv6, direct to mobile networks.
Roaming between wireless access points invokes a relatively elaborate handover procedure, which may include obtaining a new address or care-of-address from a new wireless access point, providing the new address to one or more home agents and correspondent nodes, and authenticating an identity of the roaming mobile node. The updating of addresses and the authentication may involve bidirectional communications with multiple devices, and the authentication may be performed with one or more of the multiple devices.
When a mobile node moves out of signal range of a wireless access point, the mobile node loses contact with the network. Until the mobile node reestablishes contact with the network through another access point, messages to and from the mobile node may be buffered for later delivery.
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